Countries Eligible For The DV Lottery-2025
If you want to live, work, or study in the United States, enter the Green Card Lottery!
Applications for the 2025 Green Card Lottery will open on 4 October 2023 and run until 7 November. Digest the essential information in this comprehensive yet concise article and determine if you are eligible for the DV Lottery 2025!
Table of contents
- Green Card Lottery 2025: dates
- What countries are not eligible for the DV Lottery in 2023?
- List of eligible countries for the DV Lottery 2025
- Get a compliant DV lottery photo online!
- Why are some countries not eligible for the Green Card Lottery this year?
- Ways to participate in the DV Lottery if you are not from the eligible country
Green Card Lottery 2025: dates
To participate in the DV-2025 program, apply electronically through the dvprogram.state.gov from 12:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4) on October 4, 2023, to 12:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (GMT-5) on November 7, 2023.
- Avoid last-minute submissions due to possible delays in website operations.
- Late and paper applications will not be considered.
- Please note that one person can only submit one application.
- Multiple submissions will result in disqualification.
What countries are not eligible for the DV Lottery in 2023?
For DV-2023, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply:
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Canada
- China (including Hong Kong SAR)
- Colombia
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- South Korea
- United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
If your country of citizenship is included in this list, this disqualifies you from applying for the Green Card Lottery 2025. However, there are alternative ways for you to qualify, which we will discuss further in this guide.
Please note that Macau, SAR, and Taiwan citizens may participate in the lottery.
List of eligible countries for the DV Lottery 2025
Below is a complete list of the countries whose natives can participate in the DV Lottery 2025:
Asia
- Afghanistan
- Bahrain
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Burma
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel*
- Japan***
- Jordan*
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Syria*
- Taiwan**
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
*Persons born in the territories administered before June 1967 by Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are chargeable, respectively, to Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt; persons born in the Gaza Strip are chargeable to Egypt; persons born in the West Bank to Jordan; persons born in the Golan Heights are chargeable to Syria.
**Macau S.A.R. (Europe region, chargeable to Portugal) and Taiwan (Asia region) do qualify and are listed. For the purposes of the diversity program only, individuals born in Macau S.A.R. derive eligibility from Portugal.
***Persons born in the Habomai Islands, Shikotan, Kunashiri, and Etorofu are chargeable to Japan. Persons born in Southern Sakhalin are chargeable to Russia.
Europe, Central Asia
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark (including components and dependent areas overseas)
- Estonia
- Finland
- France (including components and dependent areas overseas)
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Netherlands (including components and dependent areas overseas)
- Northern Ireland ***
- Norway (including components and dependent areas overseas)
- Poland
- Portugal (including components and dependent areas overseas)
- Romania
- Russia ****
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom (including dependent areas)
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican City
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau Special Administrative Region**
- North Macedonia
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
**Macau S.A.R. is eligible and is listed above and for the diversity program only; persons born in Macau S.A.R. derive their eligibility from Portugal.
***Northern Ireland is treated separately for the Diversity Program only. Northern Ireland qualifies and is listed as a qualifying area.
**** Persons born in the Habomai Islands, Shikotan, Kunashiri and Etorofu are subject to Japan. Persons born in South Sakhalin are subject to the jurisdiction of Russia.
Great Britain (United Kingdom) and its dependent territories do qualify for DV-2025. Great Britain (United Kingdom) includes the following dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
North America
- The Bahamas
In North America, natives of Canada and Mexico are not eligible for this year’s DV program.
Oceania
- Australia (including components and dependent areas overseas)
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- The Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- The Federated States of Nauru
- New Zealand (including components and dependent areas overseas)
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
South America, Central America, and the Caribbean
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uruguay
Countries in this region whose natives are not eligible for this year’s DV program:
Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Get a compliant DV lottery photo online!
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Using Visaphoto is easy. First, read the photo guidelines. Next, take a selfie with your smartphone or camera in front of any background. Finally, upload the photo to our platform. Our service covers all the technical aspects and ensures that your photo qualifies.
With Visaphoto, you'll instantly receive a professional-quality photo suitable for your DV Lottery application needs. The picture is delivered in two formats—a digital file for online submission and a print-ready template of four individual images should physical copies be required.
Source
Result
Take an image with a smartphone or camera against any background, upload it here, and instantly get a professional photo for your visa, passport, or ID.
You will get two files from Visafoto: a digital photo for electronic applications and a template ready for printing.
Don't wait! Streamline your Green Card Lottery application with Visaphoto today!
Why are some countries not eligible for the Green Card Lottery this year?
Certain countries are not eligible for the Green Card Lottery because they have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the last five years. These immigrants come from other legal immigration paths, such as family or employment-based visas.
This is why the list of ineligible countries changes from year to year.
Ways to participate in the DV Lottery if you are not from the eligible country
Despite certain restrictions, there are two scenarios in which you can still qualify for the Green Card Lottery:
- If your spouse was born in an eligible country, you can claim your eligibility based on the country of birth.
- The second condition allows you to be "charged" to the country of birth of one of your parents. This applies only if neither of your parents was a born resident or were residing in your birth country when you were born.
Best of luck with the Lottery!
